For: Releasing artists (RA) and label managers (LM) about to send their first track to streaming services You'll need: A finished audio master in WAV or FLAC (44.1 kHz or 48 kHz, 16-bit minimum), cover artwork, and the names of every credited artist Time: 15–25 minutes for a single, longer for an EP or album
This walks you through creating a release from a blank slate up to the point where it leaves your hands and goes to review.
Quick answer
Go to Releases, click New release, then move through the three sections in order: Release details (title, type, artists), Tracklist (upload audio, set track titles and contributors), and Distribution (pick streaming services, release date, territories). When everything is filled in, hit Submit for review.
Step-by-step
Open Releases from the sidebar and click New release. A draft is created instantly with status draft — you can leave at any time and come back without losing anything.
In Release details, fill in the title, release type (single / EP / album), language, genre, and the primary artists. Add featured artists here too — they appear on every track unless you override it later.
Upload your cover artwork. It must be square, at least 1400 × 1400 pixels, and RGB (not CMYK).
Go to Tracklist and drag your WAV or FLAC files in. Each file becomes a track. Set the track title, language, explicit flag, and any per-track contributors (producers, songwriters, mixers).
Open Distribution. Pick the streaming services to deliver to (everything is selected by default), choose your release date, and confirm territories.
Review the summary banner. If anything is missing, the Submit button is disabled and a red note tells you exactly which field needs attention.
Click Submit for review. Status changes to submitted and the release is locked from free editing.
Why it works this way
The three-section split mirrors what our distribution partner needs to accept the release: identity (who and what), content (the audio), and delivery (where and when). Skipping ahead doesn't save time — the validator re-runs on submit and rejects anything incomplete.
Common problems
Submit button stays greyed out — open each section; the missing field is highlighted in red. See article 12.3.
Audio upload fails — confirm the file is WAV or FLAC, 44.1/48 kHz, 16-bit or higher, and under the size limit shown on the upload card.
Artwork is rejected — must be 1400 × 1400 minimum, square, RGB JPEG or PNG.
You don't see your release in the list after creating it — the page filters by status; switch the filter to All or Drafts.